Rome's Townsend named Oneida County STOP-DWI coordinator
Oneida County has a new STOP-DWI coordinator.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. announced Friday that he appointed Rome native Eric Townsend to the position.
Picente said Townsend officially assumed the STOP-DWI coordinator position on May 16. Prior to that, Oneida County Emergency Services Director Edward Stevens had temporarily overseen those duties.
“Oneida County is lucky to have Eric Townsend coordinating its STOP-DWI Program,” Picente said in a statement. “He has a strong background in emergency services and online marketing and will bring a fresh perspective to the table. I look forward to seeing where he takes this important county program.”
Townsend spent the past five years as a paramedic supervisor for AmCare Ambulance Service in Rome, where he managed a team of paramedics, developed an EMS assistant program, assisted with all training programs and operated the company’s website and social media, Picente said.
Prior to that, he spent four years as an EMT and paramedic.
He also has been a Paramedic Preceptor for the MidState Paramedic Program and a CPR instructor for the American Heart Association.
Townsend is a graduate of Rome Free Academy. He graduated with an associate degree in criminal justice from Mohawk Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Justice from the State University of Oswego. He also received his Paramedic Certification from Herkimer County Community College.
He is currently the volunteer labor director for the Boilermaker Road Race, and in the past has coordinated fire and medical services for the event. He also serves as volunteer director/EMS director for the CNY Memorial Stair Climb.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Oneida County as STOP-DWI Coordinator,” Townsend said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my traffic safety colleagues, along with law enforcement and the community, to carry out County Executive Picente’s vision for keeping our roadways safe.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Eric Townsend named Oneida County STOP-DWI coordinator
